Phase 3 construction of the Maclear Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) upgrade project, in the Eastern Cape’s Joe Gqabi district municipality, will start in June this year, says South African black-owned engineering firm Gibb.

This phase will include the construction of the WWTW and the construction of the main sewage pumpstation, together with the closing and rehabilitation of the old sewage ponds.

Once completed, the WWTW will extend its capacity from 700 kℓ/d to a full capacity of 1 400 kℓ/d. Construction of a second reactor, a secondary settling tank, a chlorine contact tank and related mechanical and electrical work will help the facility reach its full capacity.

“The town’s sewerage infrastructure upgrade will see Joe Gqabi district municipality complying with the Department of Water and Sanitation’s (DWS’s) Green Drop standards for discharge-quality effluent. It will also prevent pollution from being discharged into the nearby Mooi river, meet existing and projected demand and assist in the elimination of bucket sanitation,” explains Gibb engineer and project leader Victor de Wet, who is also charged with the design and supervision of the phased upgrade.

Gibb was also appointed to consult on phases 1 and 2 of the project, which involved construction of the greenfield collector sewer system and the first phase of the Maclear WWTW construction respectively.

“We applied all the latest design and system technologies at Maclear, taking cognisance of the availability of equipment and expertise in the area and services available from suppliers.

In addition, Gibb provided operational and maintenance guidance and trained the operators for the Maclear WWTW, together with plant operators in the surrounding area,” De Wet points out.

Meanwhile, concerns over the proposed new bulk sewage pump-station at Maclear have been resolved through the completion of environmental assessments for phases 4 and 5 of the project.

Concerns were raised about the river and protecting it against pollution during spillage incidents, as the Maclear pumpstation and a temporary pumpstation will be located in the DWS’s designated areas.

Phases 4 and 5 will involve full waterborne sewage reticulation for the Maclear project and adjacent townships. Once completed, the Maclear pumpstation will receive all the town’s wastewater, together with effluent from the upgraded Fourie street reticulation system.